Coupling



Patented Nov. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I Diesel TractorCorporation, La Porte, Ind., a

corporation oi' New York Application' August 19,' 1935', serial No.-36,879 roam ,'(cl. zas-1am This invention relates to a coupling andparticularly to means for coupling together the ends of two portions ofpipe o r tubing.

One object of thefinvention is to vprovide a coupling of the typesuggested in which great pressures and severe vibration or heavy struc.-tural loading upon the pipe may be withstood.

Another object is toprovide a coupling ofthe type suggested, which isrelatively llight and small when compared L.to the sizes of the `pipesWhich'are to be connected. Another object is to provide a coupling inwhich there is a sealing means and in which the sealing means and theload carrying means are separate s'o that each performs but a singlefunction.

Other objects will appear from time to time in lthe specification andclaim.

My invention isillustrated more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawing, wherein: n

Figure 1 is a cross section through the ends of pipes illustratingl oneform of my coupling beiore it is complete;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the coupling completed;

Figure 3 is a similar section showing a modified form of coupling andFigure 4 is a transverse cross section, taken at line ll-l of Figure 1,t,

Like parts are designated by like characters throughout thespeciilcation and drawing..

Il, t are tubes provided respectively` with bores t and 4. The bore I ofthe tube I is preferably counter-bored or tapered outwardly at its end,as indicated as at 5. The bore l of the tubular member 2 iscorrespondingly preferably counterbored or tapered outwardly as at i.

lF'astened to the tube I is an end member l, which is preferablycylindrical in shape and is provided with an enlargement l which formsat one end a shoulder I. The member 'I may be fastened to the tube I inany suitable manner', for example, by soldering, welding or brazing. iIt may also be fastened in the manner shown in which one orV morepreferably annular depressions Il are formed in the exterior of thecylindrical member |.Y These depressions are preferably formed vnot somuch by bending the entire cylindrical section oi member 1, but byactual depressing of the metal and thus a corresponding, but smaller,inwardly projecting annular elevation Il, II is formed for each of thedepressions Il. As this is formed, a corl responding depression. I2 isformed in the exterior oi the tube I. This may be formed by a pushingaside of the metal of the tube 4towards its exterior rather than by'the' complete deformation of the tube. and thus the bore 3 of the tubeI may be practically undisturbed and unaffected by the depression I2'.To all intents and 5 purposes this latter depression is normally formedin the exterior of 'the tube l without any appreciable eiect upontheinner walls of the tube I. It must be understood that` the showing o!the depressions and elevations just described is 10 greatly exaggeratedin the figures. Actually they are much 'smaller in proportion to theItube I and the memberj, but for purposes of illustration it wasnecessary to exaggerate them in the drawing. l5 Positioned upon andfastened to the end of the tube 4 is a member I3,` preferably generallycylindrical in shape, provided at one end with an enlargement I4 whichmaybe threaded enteriorly as at I5. Formed on the exterior of the 20member Il is one or more depressions It, which correspond to thedepressions I0 in themember 'L4 Inward projections Il. arerfo'rmed onthe im. terior of the'member Il and the-exterior of the tube l iscorrespondingly deformed as at Il. Thus I have-shown the member I3fastened to the tube 2 in the same manner as the member l is fastened tothe tube I, although, as in the case of the tube I, the members 2 andi!might be fastened together in any other way, such for 36 example assoldering, brazing, welding' or threading. i

II is a collar which is preferably interiorly v threaded as at 20 and itmay be provided with' an enlarged portion 2| of angular'cross section,3,. as shown particularly in Figure he It is provided at one end with aninwardly facing angular flange 22 which engages the shoulder l ot themember l. The threaded portion Il -is-ads'riteclv to engage the threadedportion Il of the mem-- ber u. 4 23 is a thimble-like member which isprovided' with a central bore Z4 and preferably having-,two

symmetrically tapered exterior portions IL 25..

As shown in Figure I"1, the 'joint' is not completen 45 and the partshave not yet'beenffdrawn tocther.

gether, and since the largest='portion 0 1' the thimble 23 is ofgreater'diameter than the bore in the members l and Il, it is pinchedand coin- 50 pressed and a laterally extending flange It is thus formedintegrally witir'the thimble 2l and extending between and engaged by thefacing ends of the enlargements I and Il. It thus forms in eiiect agasket at this point. 55

In the modified form shown in Figure 3, pipes or tubes 21, 28 appear. Tothe tube 21 is secured an end portion 29. This might be secured in anymanner but as shown herewith it is brazed or soldered to the tube 21.This portion or member 29 is provided with an enlargement 30 which formsa shoulder 3|. Within the member 29 is a bore 32 which communicates witha reduced bore 33 which will ordinarily be formed within the enlargement30. The bore 33 is flared or tapered outwardly as at 34, and theshoulder 35 is formed between the main bore 32 and the reduced bore 33.

38 is a hollow member preferably cylindrical, provided with anenlargement 31 externally threaded as at 38. The member 36 has aninterior bore 39 communicating with a reduced bore 40. 4I is a shoulderformed between the bores 39 and 40. The'bore 40 is flared outwardly asat 42.

"Q43 -is` a collar or locking means interiorly threaded as at 44. It maybe provided as at 45 with an enlargement of angular cross section. Ithas an inwardly facing annular flange 46 which engages the shoulder 3Iof the member 30.

41 is a thimble provided with a bore 48. It is preferably symmetricallyexteriorly tapered as at 49, 49 and at its widest portion is attened asat v It will be' realized that whereas I have herewith shown anddescribed a practical operative device, nevertheless many changes mightbe made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts Withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and I wish, therefore, thatmy showing and description be taken as in a sense diagrammatic.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

When two portions of tube or pipe are to be connected, end members suchas the members 1 and I3 are positioned on the ends of the pipe andfastened thereto in any suitable manner, either as shown in Figures 1and 2 or by soldering, brazing, welding or otherwise, so that the endmembers are securely and permanently xed to the pipe sections. In theform of the invention shown in the first two figures, the interior ofthe pipe bore is then enlarged to provide the tapered sections and 6,which preferably are countered-bored outwardly and end at the outer endof the members 8 and I4 and thus the pipe sections and the end membersterminate at about the same point. `A generally tubular. thimble ,1shaped member, such' as the member'23 or its equivalent, whichispreferably of relatively ductile material, for example, brass, isinserted partially in the end of 'eachitube, and the collar member I9,which is in. position on the member 1, is moved to engage the threads ofthe member I4 and the parts are drawn together. in- Figure 1, they arepartially drawn together and the coupling is not complete. As shown inFigure 2 the coupling or joint is complete and I s the end members 8 andI4 have been drawn towards.each` other from the positionshown inFigure 1. As this isdone, a portion of theY thimble which extendsoutwardly, has been compressed or pinched outwardly to form thelaterally ex- .A tending flange 26 vwhich is caught between the cornersof the members 8 and I4, as at 26, and thus in elect a'gasket is -formedat this point.

When pressure is applied withinthe tuba-the.

thimble is subject to the pressure and is thus so far as possiblefurther expanded and its ex- As shown 1 the force preventing leakage inthe joint resulting as shown in Figure 2, the load of the pressureiscarried, not by the sealing thimble 23 but by the end members I Il andI3, and the collar I9.

Only a very small portion ofthe sealing thimble 23 is unsupported andthat is preferably its thickest and strongest portion. It thus hassubstantially only a, single function, namely, that of Asealing toprevent leakage and thus the load is carried by -parts other than thesealing part.

In the form shown in Figure 3, the ends of the tubes are not flared orotherwise changed as to shape. There is fastened upon each of them afitting 29 or 36, which surrounds the ends of the tubes and whichfurnishes an abutment or shoulder against which the end of the tuberests. In the form shown inthis figure the tubes are soldered, brazed orwelded to the members 29 or 36 so that they are permanently attached tothem. The thimble 41 is generally similar to the thimble 23 in shape,but is preferably flattened about its widest diameter so that for aportion of ,its

length it is out of contact'with the flared bore In both forms of theinvention the thin orfeather edge of the ends of the thimble provide ameans which responds readily to pressure from within and thus yields toform a sealing contact with the supporting parts, automatically andproportionately to the pressure. The bore of the thimble itself isvofthe same diameter as the bore of the tubes and thus there is provided asealing means which co-operates in providing a uniform bore throughoutthe system, and in which depressions, pockets, constrictions orenlargements so common in kriown types of couplings are avoided.

l. I claim: In combination in Va coupling, a pair of pipe ends, eachpipe having its bore conically counterbored towards its end, and afastening and reinforcing' member permanently positioned about the endof each pipe, an engaging member en-l ing material than that -of thepipes provided with an interior bore substantially the same as that ofthe-pipes and tapered on its exterior from. itscentery outwardly toprovide substantially a. feather" edge at each. end and adapted I PHILIPLANE sco'ir.y

